‘Qaeda tape no proof of bombing role’

An Al Qaeda videotape featuring a pre-death statement by the suspected ringleader of the July 7 London suicide bombings does not prove the a...

An Al Qaeda videotape featuring a pre-death statement by the suspected ringleader of the July 7 London suicide bombings does not prove the attack was carried out by Osama bin Laden’s militant network, a US official said on Friday.

The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the Bush administration believes the tape containing the statement by Mohammad Sidique Khan and a message from Al Qaeda second-in-command Ayman al-Zawahri is authentic. ‘‘There’s never been a fake (Al Qaeda) tape,’’ the official said.

‘‘I’m sure Al Qaeda is happy to get the word out saying they inspired the event. But the tape doesn’t prove that Al Qaeda was behind the attack. Clearly they’re capable of getting their message out. They use their PR machine to do just that,’’ the official added.

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Al Jazeera television on Thursday showed Zawahri and Khan in separate segments of videotaped statements, which the network described as a claim of responsibility from Al Qaeda for the blasts on London’s transport system. Neither statement explicitly said bin Laden’s network was behind the bombings.

In the tape, Khan referred to bin Laden, Zawahri and Al Qaeda’s leader in Iraq, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, as ‘‘today’s heroes’’ and warned of more attacks. —Reuters

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